Note-sheet for musical instruments.



J. H. CHASE.

NOTE SHEET FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

' APPLICATION FILED DEO.22,1910.

1,034,420 Patented Aug. 6, 1912.

a? as 000 H U [1 404/ coumau rum-urn c0 wAsmmn'uN. n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT cr mes.

JOSEIH H. CHASE, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T0 AMERICAN PIANOCOMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY;

NOTE-SHEET FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

7 Specification. of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 6, 1912.

Application filed December 22,1910. Serial No. 598,704.

To all whom it mayconcern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH H. CHASE, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Boston, Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement inNote-Sheets for Musical Instruments, of which the following description,in connection wit-h the accompany ing drawings, is aspecification, likeletters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to prime controllers, such for instance, as note'slieets, for'automatic' or partly automaticmusical instruments andpertains more particularly toinformative data or indicia for instructingthe operator respecting the control of the instrument to suit thecomposition which is being played; I

' Among other objects, the invention is designed to'pro'vid'e a systemof-informative notation for note sheets" and the like, which shall bereadily readable and"understand able by the operator and preferablyshall be aptly instructive of the 'proper'manner and extent ofoperationof mechanical devices for controlling the instrument so that thecomposition to be played may be rendered withthe desired effects.

The character of the invention may be ex plained conveniently byreference to an illustrative embodiment shown'in the accompanyingdrawing which represents a perforated note sheet having thereon varioussymbols indicating the manner and extent of operation of controllingdevices. Such controlling devices as may be used practi-.

cally in conjunction with the illustrative notation of the drawing, arewell exemplified by expression controlling levers of certain well-knowntypes of piano players or player pianos in which variations ofexpression are produced by moving toward and from the strings of theiano a sectional or flexible hammer rail. ne type of such instrument hasa flexible hammer rail comprising three principal sections sub-tendingrespectively bass, middle and treble divisions, said sections beingcontrolled each by one of three expression levers. These levers, when intheir normal positions of rest, leave the flexible hammer rail at itspoint of nearest approach to the strings, thereby prescribing theminimum distance of throw for the hammers for playing pianissimo. Whenthe levers are depressed to the fullest "extent, they move the hammerrail to its maximum distance from the strings, thereby giving thehammers their maximum throw for playing fortissimo. When the levers aredepressed to' intermediate positions, the hammer rail is movedcorrespondingly for playing mezzoforte, etc.

- The illustrative perforated note sheet of the drawings may bedescribed conveniently by reference to three hammer-rail-controllinglevers of the character explained in the next preceding paragraph.

One of the particular objects accomplished by this invention is theproduction of asystern of notation in which different symbols,representing different effects or different extents or manners ofoperation of a controlling device, shall be so readily distinguishablein appearance as to avoid any confusion whatever on the part of theoperator. As well understood in the art, a note sheet travels at asubstantial speed and it is oftentimes difiicult for an operator,especially a novice, to recognize and distinguish different indicia asthey are suddenly presented to his view by the traveling sheet, and arethereafter promptly removed from view. It is a consideration of greatimportance, therefore, to have the different symbols conspicuouslydlStlIlCtlX'Q and at the same time simple in design. These purposes arewell served by the illustrative system of notation shown in the drawing.For example, the symbols 2., 3 and 4 consist merely of circles. Thesemay be printed or stenciled upon the note sheet in any practicablemanner, and if stenciled the circles would not have continuouscircumferences because of the retaining tabs to support the stencilblank to cover the area of the circle. In effect, however, it ispreferred to use merely a plain circle or other geometrical designhaving its circumference or outline indicated by a substantiallycontinuous line. These symbols 2, 3 and at are illustrative leverssymbols which may be employed on a note sheet or the like to indicatethe extent of operation of expression or other controlling levers of aninstrument, as, for instance, hammer-rail-controlling levers such asthose above referred to.

In the specific illustrative system of notation, the plain circles 2, 3and 4 indicate that the levers or other controlling devices are to beleft free from manipulation to rest in their normal released positions.For convenience, the blank circles or the like may be called releasesymbols.

The symbol 2 represents .a hammer-railcontrolling lever or the like forthe bass division .of the register; the symbol 3, the, lever forthemiddle division; and the symbol 4, the lever for-the treble'divisiona Thus, these three illustrative release symbols indicate to theoperator {that the-bass note of perforation 6, the middle division noteof perforation 7, and the treble-note of perforation 8 are .all to beplayed when the three levers are fully released. Thus, on the assumedflexible hammer-rail instrument, said threenotes '6, -7 and 8 'would beplayed pianissimo. The next group of symbols 10, 11, 12 consist ofcircles having their areas completely i colored or. shaded, so that theyshall be readily and completely distinguishable from such symbols as theblank circles 2, 3 and 4. Accordingto thespecific system, thesefull-shaded symbols 10, 1'1 and 12, indieateto the operator thatthebass, middle and treble levers areto be fully depressed to the limitsof their --movements, thereby in the specific flexible-hammer-railinstrument, (referred to by wayof illustration) causing the bass note ofperforation 14:, the middle note of.-perforation 15 and treble note ofperforation 16, all to be played fortissimo. The'next group of symbols18, 19, 2O consist of circles having their areas half shaded to instructthe operator to depress the levers half-way from released position tofull depressed position, thereby, upon the specific assumed, instrument,to cause the notes of perforations 22, 23 and 24, to be playedmezzo-forte.- Thus, the blank circle, or other geometrical figure, thefullshaded figure, and the semi-shaded figure, indicate respectivelydifferent extents to which corresponding levers should be operated toproduce desired efi'ects. Such symbols may be placed upon the note sheetin any practicable position so that they shall appear to the operator inthe travel of the note sheet in sufiicient season to enable him tomanipulate the levers, in accordance with the instruction conveyed bythe symbols, so as to affect those notes to which the intendedexpression pertains. For instance, the group of symbols 2, 3 and 4, islocated on the illustrative sheet slightly in advance of the alinementof the three note perforations 6, 7 and 8, to which the instruction ofsaid symbolspertains. With this arrangement, as the symbols 2,, 3 and 4approach or reach the tracker, the operator Wlll be instructed to leaveall threelevers in released position. This illustrative relation betweenthe symbols and note perforations is not essential and any relation willsufiice which will expose the symbols to view at an appropriate time aswill be Well understood by those skilled in the art.

Symbols of the general character describedmay be located at desiredintervals along the sheet at Whatever points it is desired that theexpression should be changed. For example, after playing the three notes'22, 23 and 24 mezzo-forte (under the instruction conveyed'by thesymbols 18, 19

and 20) it may be desired to play fortissimo the treble note 26;pianissimo themiddle division note 27 and mezzo-forte the bass note 28.The necessary instruction for this purpose is provided by symbols 29, 30and 31 informing the operator respectively that the bass-lever .is to besemi-depressed; the middle lever to be left fully released, and thetreble lever to be fully depressed.

The foregoing suflices to illustrate three illustrative types of symbolsby which three operative positions of a controlling device may bereadily denoted in distinctivecharacters upon'the note sheet,'to wit;the fully depressed, the semi-depressed, and the releasedpositions. Ifitbe desired to indicate more than these three operative positions of thelevers, similar symbols may be employed, as for instance, a shadedquadrant or quarter part of a circle or other figure, to indicate aquarter depression of a lever; and a shaded three-quarter area of acircle or other figure, to indicate a three-quarter depression of alever. If desired, the symbols may be further distinguished by usingdifferent geometrical designs. For practical purposes, however, it isconsidered suflicient to indicate merely the three principal operativepositions above described.

The three types of symbols referred to may be used in any desiredcombination as will appear to those skilled in the art, and asillustrated by the combination of the three different symbols 29, 30 and31.

The symbols hitherto described and employed in the various combinationsof which they are susceptible, serve to indicate the extent to which theexpression levers, respectively, or other controlling devices, areintended to be operated. Some additional information or instruction isdesirable to be conveyed to indicate the manner in which the leversshould be operated to one extent or another in order, for example, toaccent a selected note or notes or to produce crescendo, diminuendo orother effects. Such additional information may be conveyed by alteringthe appearance of such symbols as have already been described, as bymeans of supplemental indicia,the desideratum being to give to a symbolindicating an extent of operation, such an appearance or aspect as willalso indicate a manner of operation of a controlling device. Toexemplify such informative indicia, the group of symbols 32,

33, 34 comprises accent symbols 35 and 36. The symbol 33, being a fullshaded figure, indicates the full depression by the correspondingcontrolling device, and the appearance of this full depression symbol ismodified by the accent mark- 35 so as to indicate that the fulldepression is to be made suddenly or rapidly and to be followed by animmediate release such that'the middle division note of perforation 37will be played with a fortissimdaccent, :Likewise the symbol 34, beingasemi-shaded figure, indicates a'- semi depression of the controllingdevice, and the' appearance of that symbol is modified bythe accent mark36 so as-to instruct the operator to semi-depress the device suddenly orrapidly and thereafter torele ase it immediately in order to give thetreble note ofuperforation 38 a mezzo-forte accent. Thus, the twospecific characters 33" and 35, by=their combined distinctiveappearance, constitute, in effect, a single indication for a quick fulldepression and release, namelya fortissimo accent; and

the two characters 34 and 36 together con-- stitute, in effect, adistinctive mezzo-forte accent symbol. These two accent symbols areaccompanied for illustration by the blank-symbol 32 indicating that thelever for the bass division is in full release position to play the note39 pianissimo. ,The next group of un shadedwsymbols 40, 41, 42, indicatethat the three leversare to be left released. The symbol 44indicates thegradual, though rapid,.depression of the treble lever to the fulldepressed position indicatedby thefull depression symbol 45 of the nextgroup, whereby the. treblerun 46 will be played with a rapid crescendoand the note of perforation i7 will be played fortissimo after thetreble lever has reached its fully depressed position, as indicated bythe symbol 45. The symbol 50 indicates a slow, gradual depression of themiddle lever to the semi-depressed position indicated by the symbol 51,whereby the group of notes 52 will be played with a slow crescendo andthe note 53 will be played mezzoforte. In the bass division the notes 55will be played pianissimo following the instruction of the symbol 40 andthe bass note 56 will be played mezzo-forte following the instruction ofthe symbol 57. 7

After the fortissimo of the treble note of perforation 47, the treblelever having been fully depressed as indicated by the symbol 45, asymbol 58 indicates a rapid, gradual release of the treble lever endingwith the full release indicated by the blank symbol 59, thereby causingthe notes of the group 60 of perforations to be played with a rapiddiminuendo and the note 61 to be played pianissimo. Following thesemi-depression symbol 51 there is a slow gradual depression symbol 63which, in turn is followed by a full depression symbol 64. Thisfullshaded symbol 64 indicating the full depression of the middle lever,may have its appearance or aspect modified so as to indicate animmediate release of the lever following the gradual crescendodepression thereof. A so-called release symbol 65 is shown to exemplifyindicia for this purpose, the characters 64 and 65 constitutingtogether, in effeet, a release symbol to follow the crescendo mark. .Byfollowing the instruction of the symbols 63, 64 and 65, the operatorwill cause the notes of the group 67 of perforations to be'played with agradual crescendo, the note 68 being played at substantiallyfortissimo,-,and the note 69 being played pianissimo upon the release ofthe middle lever.

Following the semi-depression symbol 57 there is a slow gradual releasesymbol 70 followed, in turn, by a full release symbol 71.. By followingthe instruction of these symbols the operator will cause the notes ofthe group. 72 of perforations to be played with a gradual diminuendo andthe note 73 to be played pianissimo.

The fore oing description of illustrative symbols an a practicalarrangement thereof will suffice to indicate the general character ofthe invention, such symbols being well adapted for use to instruct theoperator in the manipulation of one or more mechanical or other devicesfor regulating or controlling the rendition of a composition. Thespecific symbols have been explained in connection with an assumedexemplary type of instrument having three controlling levers; but it isto be understood, of course, that the specific system of notationdescribed is not limited to use in connection with such an instrument,but may be applied to a variety of instruments as will appear to thoseskilled in the art.

The specific embodiment of the invention described, comprises symbolspertaining to the regulation of volume or intensity characteristics, butthe invention is applicable to symbols for other purposes. \Vhensyn'rbo-ls contemplated by this invention are used to indicate intensityregulations, they may be accompanied by tempo indications of anypracticable type, if desired.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specificsystem of notation described above; on the contrary said system may bewidely modified within the scope of the subjoined claims. It is notindispensable that all the features of the invention be used conj ointlysince they may be used to advantage in different combinations andsub-combinations.

Claims: Y

1. A note sheet for musical instruments having thereon a plurality ofseparate groups of informative symbols providing instructions for thecontrol of an instrument, the groups being substantially alinedlengthwise the sheet and confined within a. narrow area extending alongthe sheet, whereby the groups are presented in succession atsubstantially the same point in the operators field of vision;'each saidgroup comprising a plurality of symbols disposed transversely of thesheet in an alinement parallel to the alinementof symbols in each of theother groups, whereby all the groups have the same symmetricalarrangement of alined symbols, permitting the groups to be positionedclosely adjacent each other on the sheet where desired; the symbols ofsaid groups comprising geometrical figures having partially and whollyshaded and unshaded areas, respectively, the different 'shadings beingsubstantially different in area, whereb the symbols are conspicuouslydifferentiate in individual-appearance andare readily recognizable'anddistinguishable? by the operator; each said symbol by its conspicuousindividual shading: rlack of shading indicating, in and of itself andindependently of its position on 'the' sheet-0rv in relation to othersymbols, a certain predetermined extent of operation of a'-oon trol lingdevice by which a desired effect may be produced; each said groupcomprising symbols as aforesaid so indicating such extents of operationof a plurality of controlling devices, respectively.

2. A note sheet for musical instruments having thereon a plurality ofseparate and independent informative symbols comprising geometricalfigures having, respectively, substantially and conspicuously differentareas thereof shaded to contribute readilyrecognizable distinctiveappearances to the respective types of symbols; each said symbol, by itsdistinctive shaded or non-shaded appearance and independently of itsposition on the sheet or any relation to other symbols, indicating inand of itself a certain predetern'iined, exact, extent of operation of acontrolling device; and additional indicia indicating the manner ofoperation of said controlling device to the extent indicated by a symbolaforesaid.

3. A note sheet for musical instruments having thereon a plurality ofseparate and independent informative symbols comprising substantiallycircular figures; certain of said circular figures having their areassubstantially entirely shaded to indicate in and of themselves,individually, and independently of their absolute or relative positionson the sheet, and independently of any other symbols, a certain, exact,predetermined extent of operation of a controlling device; other saidcircular figures being substantially unshaded and thereby conspicuouslydifferent in appearance from the entirelyshaded figures and readilydistinguishable therefrom, said substantially unshaded circular' figuresindicating in and of themselves, individually, and independently ofabsolute or relative position on the sheet and independently of anyother symbols, a second certain exact predetermined extent of operationof the said controlling device; still others of said circular figureshaving their areas partly shaded and conspicuously different inappearance from the aforesaid entirely-shaded figures and unshadedfigures and readily distinguishable from both thereof, said partlyshaded figures indicating in and of themselves, individually, and

independently of their absolute or relative fposit-ionon the sheet andindependently of iany other symbol, a certain, exact, predeterminedextent of operation of a controlling idevice intermediate the twoextents of op- ?eration indicated, respectively, as aforesaid by saidentirely-shaded and unshaded figures; said several symbols beingdisposed lengthwise the sheet and located, respectively, at points whereit is desired to change the control by means of the controliling deviceaforesaid, and the symbols collectively indicating exactly the extentsto which such device is to be operated at such "points of changethroughout the operation of the note sheet.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my iname to this specification, inthe presence of itwo subscribing witnesses.

5 JOSEPH H. CHASE.

\Vitnesses:

LAURENCE A. JANNEY, ROBERT H. KAMMLER.

Copies of this patent'may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

